For women, diabetes and heart disease is a genuine threat. Still, many are unaware of how these two conditions are directly related. Both wreak havoc on the body, but they can be deadly when they coincide.
What Are The Facts
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s study, diabetes prevalence in women has increased from 5% in the 1980s to 10%, and cases continue to rise every year. The latest national statistics show that it affects 8.3 percent or 26 million Americans aged 20 years or older. In 2010, this disease was the leading cause of 18% of deaths, indicating how dangerous this chronic disease can be if left untreated.
Unknown, Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the world’s major epidemic diseases. Diabetes is a disorder in which the person has high blood glucose (sugar) level due to either body producing little or no insulin (type 1) or non-responsiveness of body cells to insulin (type 2).
Insulin helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much glucose stays in your blood. Over time, this amount of glucose in your blood damages the nerves, kidneys, eyes, and heart. About eighty-five percent of patients suffer from diabetes mellitus (type 2).
Unknown, Heart Disease
Heart disease means “disease” or “illness” of the heart. It is a general term for several heart conditions, including coronary artery diseases, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure.
Heart disease can lead to heart attack or death if you have blocked blood flow to the heart, your risk of having a stroke increases if you have diabetes.
How Can Diabetes Increase Your Risk Of Heart Disease
People with diabetes have twice the risk of getting cardiovascular disease as those who do not have the disease. People with poorly controlled diabetes are at increased risk for heart attack and stroke compared with those without.
Diabetes can cause damage to organs and can lead to blockage-this blockage aids in developing cardiovascular diseases. Including hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, obesity, or coronary artery disease leads to a heart attack.
The reason being diabetes may cause narrowing of arteries in your body, including those that supply blood to your brain and your heart. If someone has Type 2, or an acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI). Mortality rates are four times higher than an average person’s.
Heart attack is a condition that occurs as a result of insufficient blood supply to the heart as a result of blocked arteries. So diabetic patients should be aware of the link between diabetes and heart disease to take proper treatment to control both conditions simultaneously.
So What Can Be Done To Help Prevent Diabetes Or Heart Disease
There are treatments for both diabetes and heart disease available to help sufferers. Still, it’s essential to take steps to prevent these problems before they arise.
Eating right and exercising are the best things to do. If diabetes is already present in a woman’s life, she should monitor her diet closely. Cut down on foods high in fat and sugars, eat plenty of green veggies, whole grains, fruits, and lean meats like fish or chicken for protein.
Also, cut out any junk food that doesn’t provide nutritional value. A good rule of thumb is if it contains more than five ingredients, there is too much processed sugar/fat/etc. In the item.
Regular exercise also helps to keep diabetes at bay as well as improve heart health naturally over time. The best activities for these conditions raise the heart rate, such as jogging, biking, or swimming.
Also, different kinds of resistance training like weight lifting or heavy gardening increase the heart rate and improve health better than simple daily activities like walking to the mailbox.
Not only does eating healthy keep diabetes away, but it also helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. Low fat and low-calorie diets help control and stay fit enough to avoid obesity which can bring on hypertension or diabetes.
If a woman is overweight, she should work closely with her doctor to manage diabetes through diet, exercise, and any other treatments, including medication.
The Woman’s Clinic Is Here For Our Diabetic Patients
Women who have diabetes must look after themselves as it is a lifelong disease that they must manage with the assistance of a medical professional, especially if it’s type 2.
It’s not just about taking medicines but also being aware of symptoms and treating them promptly or continuing with lifestyle changes to improve health over time.
Contact the professionals at The Woman’s Clinic who can help with either of these conditions.
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